PANIC BUTTON CAPITOL SERIES

PANIC BUTTON CAPITOL SERIES

The findings on the emergency radio system are included in a “flash report” by the Capitol police inspector general, the fifth in an ongoing series of assessments of how the agency fell short in its handling of 6 January and how it can do better in the future. And if the on-duty watch commander is not notified of emergency identifier activations, they cannot respond to a situation.”Ĭapitol police said senior department officials had been using their cellphones on 6 January to communicate orders to others down the chain of command in an effort to limit the number of radio transmissions being broadcast. “Without being aware of an officer’s emergency, the department does not dispatch additional units or resources for an officer in distress. “Without the ability to connect with help or request reinforcements during emergencies, officers are at risk of facing dangerous or even deadly situations,” the report said. Police officials in Washington are increasingly concerned about a rally planned for 18 September on federal land next to the Capitol that organizers have said is meant to demand “justice” for the hundreds of people already charged in connection with January’s insurrection. The on-duty watch commander appears not to have been made aware of at least some of the system activations, the report said.

The report found that most of the emergency activations from officers’ radios were never simulcast on police radio, a standard protocol designed to spread the word to other officers about emergencies and crises. The report obtained by the Associated Press offered new details about the shortcomings by law enforcement during the 6 January insurrection at the Capitol.

Panic button capitol